ST. CLOUD — Minnesota’s all-time high school boys soccer scoring leader knows where he’s headed to college.
standout Jacob Oliver confirmed on Tuesday, Feb. 3, that he’ll play soccer and baseball at Division III
beginning this fall.
Oliver finished his remarkable Cathedral tenure with the state records in career points (192) and goals (139). Fifty-six of those goals came during his senior season where he led the Crusaders
at the Class A state tournament.
“I really like the campus — it’s a place I’ve been to a lot — it’s beautiful,” Oliver said of Collegeville. “The soccer team, with (head coach)
is going in the right direction. And, I get to play baseball out there for
I can’t complain.”
St. Cloud Cathedral’s Jacob Oliver (14) brings the ball up the field past an unidentified Holy Family Catholic defender on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, at the College of St. Benedict.
Andy Rennecke / St. Cloud LIVE
Oliver, who is currently playing basketball for the Crusaders, said his final choices came down to Division III schools Gustavus, Wisconsin-River Falls and Simpson (Iowa). Surprisingly, no Division II schools seriously recruited him.
“If a Division II school had reached out, my decision might have been different because of the scholarship impact,” Oliver said. “It is what it is. I have no idea what the plan for me is in soccer and baseball out in Collegeville. I’m just going out there to have fun and try and learn a lot.
“It’s a big relief for me to make this decision. Now I can enjoy the rest of my senior year knowing what my plans are.”
Since he wasn’t heavily recruited, Oliver was more than fine with staying close to home. His younger brother, Samuel, will be a senior for the Crusaders this fall. He also has a younger sister, Alyssa, who played on Cathedral’s JV soccer team last fall.
His parents, Aaron and Christina, are happy he’ll be right down the road in Collegeville.
“Having my parents and siblings close so they can come and watch me play is a big plus,” Oliver admitted. “The MIAC is one of the most competitive Division III conferences in the country. They had three nationally ranked teams for most of the year last fall. I know the competition is going to be great for me.”
Oliver is excited to play for Flintham, who guided the Johnnies to a 13-5-3 overall record and a 5-4-1 mark in the MIAC, in his first season at the helm. Oliver saw SJU play numerous games in person last season.
St. Cloud Cathedral’s Jacob Oliver (14) looks to control the ball against Holy Angels during the Class A state boys soccer championship match on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Contributed / Jon Namyst
“He brought in a direction for the program that it really needed,” Oliver said. “Coach Flintham helped Gustavus reach the NCAA Tournament a few times. He knows what he’s doing.”
Oliver isn’t sure what baseball will hold for him with the Johnnies, but he can’t wait to find out. The sport has been a passion of his since he was young. He’ll join Cathedral seniors Henry Schloe, Jack Hamak and Nolan Bigaouette on the SJU baseball roster next year.
“I’ve been playing baseball my entire life and it’s nice to go to SJU with a bunch of Cathedral guys,” Oliver said. “Our team at Cathedral this spring is going to be good. We only graduated two seniors and bring all of our pitching back.”
Oliver said he needs to work on his fitness level after the baseball season is over. He feels there are always things to work on with soccer and is looking forward to the challenge of playing it at the college level.
“It’s been a long winter and you don’t run as much in basketball as you’d think,” he said with a laugh. “I need to work on my weak side, and my weak foot, a little more too. But right now, I’m enjoying basketball season. I missed playing it last year. This has been a fun group to be around.”
St. Cloud Cathedral’s Jacob Oliver (middle) high-fives teammates Hank Sand (3) and Nick Plante (14) after scoring a basket against St. Cloud Apollo on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in St. Cloud.
Jason Soria / For St. Cloud LIVE
Andy Rennecke is sports editor for St. Cloud LIVE. He focuses on writing in-depth high school and college features for the St. Cloud metro area (including Sartell, Sauk Rapids and St. Joseph) and for the ROCORI, Albany, Foley and Holdingford School Districts. Send him story ideas or feedback at andy@stcloudlive.com.